The Right Kind of Wrong Part 1: Never Give In
by lady arcadia
Summary: This is the first part in my right kind of wrong series. This story is about Ryan McCarthy from Never Back Down and OC Anna Maddox. Ryan finally meets his match and wins the fight of his life. Romance. Currently being Re-written
1. Chapter 1

**Right Kind Of Wrong Part 1:**

**Never Give In**

**Author's note: Ryan McCarthy and the rest of the cannon characters from the movie Never Back Down don't belong to me. Everything else does. This is going to be the first part of my series called Right Kind of Wrong which is where I pay all my favorite bad boys up. I hope you like it. Please read and review. This is my final alteration to the story. i won't be changing it again. Thank you everybody for having so much patience with me. I sincerely hope you like this story. **

"_**If you gonna be the best, you have to take out the best**_**"**.

His father's words echoed in Ryan's head as he stared down at the Cyprus Hill High School Cafeteria from the first floor. The students swirled about in the ground floor, resembling a pool of water that had been stirred vigorously with a stick. They talked noisily as they found their friends, looked around to see who was looking at them, the various clichés absorbing their members, all under the stupid illusion that they were where the action was. They weren't. The first floor was the actual center of power, where Ryan and his friends sat and all the power, naturally, rested with him. He was, after all, the undisputed king of Cyprus Hill. Not only was he the best looking, the most popular and the richest guy in school, he was, more importantly, the meanest and dirtiest fighter Cyprus Hill had ever seen. It was understood that Ryan McCarthy _always_ won.

That is, it was…till Jake Tyler shifted to Cyprus High. Ryan's gaze hardened as he focused on his nemesis who was sitting on a table on the ground floor along with everybody else. He was surrounded as usual by his sickeningly loyal companions; his devoted girlfriend who was _also_ Ryan's ex: Baja Miller and his best friend cum No.1 fan Max Cooper. Looking down at them, Ryan seethed inwardly as they joked amongst themselves, laughing and generally having a damn good time at his expense. He watched Baja lean over and kiss Jake on the mouth, both of them looking at each other lovingly before turning to laugh at something Max was saying, his fingers clenching into fists. Baja was another thing Jake had stolen from him. Before Jake, Baja had been more than happy to be Ryan's girlfriend. In fact, she had become the hottest girl in school only _because_ he had shown an interest in her. Without him, she would have continued to walk the hallways like a silent ghost, ignored by everybody else. Even Max had once worshipped the ground Ryan had walked on, always chasing after him and trying to impress him with his pathetic fighting skills.

But Jake's coming had changed all that. Not only had Baja had dumped him for Jake in front of everyone, Jake had later publicly insulted him and challenged his supremacy by defeating him in the Beatdown. And now seeing the two of them cuddling up cozily made him want to throw up, not because he cared for Baja, but because everyone knew that in Baja's mind, Jake was the winner, not Ryan. Even Max, who used to curl up in fear in front of Ryan's anger stood up to him.

Although, everybody still feared him, his rule wasn't as absolute as it used to be. He could see the doubt on his friend's faces, the barest glimmer of hesitation anytime he went in for the fight. Worse, he could see it in his own eyes when he looked into a mirror. Jake had taken away things from Ryan he valued most; self-respect, power, prestige, authority…and victory. People were now beginning to think that they were as good as Ryan McCarthy. And that was something Ryan couldn't allow.

Jake was going to pay, Ryan thought vengefully, he just needed to be defeated again. Ryan had no doubts about winning, he had been practicing long and hard and Jake was out of shape; he had stupidly given up fighting after the Beatdown. He needed a little reminder to make him remember that he was inferior to Ryan in every way that counted. Once Jake was defeated, Ryan predicted, drumming his fingers on the green Formic Table top, things would go back to the way they were before.

The only glitch was, Ryan's fingers paused in mid-air, poised to strike, that Jake refused to fight anymore. No matter how provocative Ryan was, Jake never rose to the bait. He claimed that he had given up fighting for good and that he was sticking to that promise. Ryan didn't believe him. According to him, Jake just didn't have the motivation anymore. And that was something Ryan was more than happy to provide. It was just the matter of finding the _right _motivation.

And honestly, he was getting tired waiting for it. He scanned the cafeteria restlessly his razor-sharp mind searching for a solution when, suddenly, as if in answer to his prayers, he saw a petite brunette make her way to Jake's table. His eyes widened as he watched her lean down and kiss Jake in front of a smiling Baja before sitting down next to him. She didn't look familiar. Even from where he was sitting, he could see that she was pretty hot. But what really interested him was how much attention Jake was paying her. The two of them obviously knew each other well….interesting, Ryan thought, his cold gaze beginning to gleam.

Without removing his glance from the new comer, he called out to one of his most loyal friends, "Brandon, find out who that new girl is". Ryan didn't have turn around to know that Brandon would be talking to the girls and finding out. The people in his group may be rich spoilt brats but they could be counted on to know everything about everyone. Sure enough, within moments, Brandon came back.

"Her name is Anna Maddox. She's Tyler's first cousin or something. She's recently shifted to Orlando and is living with the Tylers. And…" he paused, trying to remember the other details, "She's a senior and today's her first day at school." Ryan gave him the slightest of nods to show he'd heard. Brandon immediately melted away, knowing that it was better to stay away from Ryan whenever he was in one of his moods.

Staring coldly at the petite brunette, an icy smirk curved the ends of Ryan's sculpted mouth. Now wasn't that interesting. Jake had a sister who'd just moved to Cyprus High. Maybe he should introduce himself to Anna Maddox. It could be the start of a beautiful friendship…one that would end in Jake being exactly what Ryan wanted him to be…ready to fight.

x-x-x

"So how's your first day going?" Baja asked Anna as they walked to class. Anna jumped slightly, startled out of her thoughts. Cyprus Hill was taking a lot of getting used to. Not to mention her brother's super hot girlfriend was more than a little intimidating. When Anna had first met Baja, she had been completely tongue-tied. Even in a simple white sundress and her hair in a pony-tail, Baja looked like she belonged to the ramp, or well, at least a movie set. Standing next to her, dressed in a sleeveless green top and jeans, Anna really felt out of place.

Even though she and Max had tried their best to make Anna feel comfortable, Anna couldn't help but feel like she was an interloper in the group. She'd had no idea that Jake would have not only settled into his new life but was thriving in it. Ever since he'd moved to Orlando after his father's death, Jake had sort of drifted away. She guessed that maybe he'd needed time to deal with things and settle into his new life. Now she was proud to see that he'd managed to get out of the destructive cycle he had been caught in and formed friendships with people who really cared about him. Not only did he and Baja look like they were completely head over heels in love with each other, Jake had a really good friend in Max too. The three of them looked complete on their own and if she was honest, Anna felt a little jealous. She and Jake had grown up next door to each other and had even attended the same high school in Iowa and had not only been siblings but best friends too. Their mothers were sisters and when Anna's parents got divorced when she was five, she and her mom had shifted to the Tylers' neighborhood. Since then, the two of them had been inseparable. When Jake and his family had moved away, Anna had been really upset. But when her mother told her she would have to go abroad with her for a year, her mother was a translator, Anna had flat out refused. Her mother wouldn't hear about her moving in with her dad till she completed her senior year, so they'd compromised, and Anna had come to live with the Tylers. She'd hoped that maybe she and Jake would hang out together and be as close as they were earlier but now she realized that Jake already had his best friends. It would just take a little getting used to, Anna thought, mentally shrugging away the hurt.

"Anna?" Baja waved her hand in front of Anna's face. Anna realized with a start that she still hadn't answered Baja. Trying to smile convincingly, she said, "It's been alright."

"You're handling it much better than I did" Baja remarked. Anna thought she sounded sincere but it was a bit difficult to imagine that a confident and friendly person like Baja would have any problems making friends.

"Really?" Anna asked, her voice disbelieving. Baja slid an amused glance at her and said, "yeah, really. My first day, I wanted to run away within five minutes of walking into this school."

"But you stuck it out" Anna completed for her, looking at Baja with new interest. Maybe she'd underestimated Baja. She was beginning to see that there was a lot more to Baja than met the eye. She had more substance to her than being just a pretty face.

"I had to" Baja shrugged matter of factly, "To be honest, the first month was hell. I didn't have any friends and I used to eat my lunch all by myself." Anna raised her eyebrows in shock. That was the last thing she'd been expecting. Feeling a pang of guilt for being so judgy, she smiled, genuinely and said, "Then I'm really lucky I have you guys. I would to hate be alone here." And then as a group of girls passed by, who glared at Baja and completely ignored Anna, she shuddered "Really hate it." Tilting her head in their direction, Anna asked, "Are they all like that?"

Looking at Anna quietly for a moment, Baja replied dryly, "No, they're worse." She and Anna burst out laughing at that, earning a lot of curious glances from everyone. And more than a few admiring ones from the guys. Anna noticed that Baja hadn't even realized. She really was alot cooler than Anna had initially thought. She felt a little more relaxed than she had earlier and Anna knew that it was mainly because Baja had gone out of her way to make her feel comfortable.

"We're here" Baja announced as they stopped outside a classroom. "If you need anything just give me a call." Anna nodded, smiling gratefully at Baja as she started heading into the class. "And Anna?" Anna stopped and turned towards Baja, a questioning look on her face. Baja just smiled "I'm really happy you're here". Anna was surprised at first but then smiled back as she said, "I'm happy to be here too" and she meant it.

x-x-x

"For this year's project, you're all going to pair up" Ms. Sterne, the English teacher declared, "And no, Mr. Keating" she looked pointedly at a boy who had raised his hand, "you can't choose or change your partners" the class collectively groaned at this. Ms. Sterne continued pacing, completely unruffled. "I will be handing out numbers to everybody. Who ever has the same number will pair up and will remain paired up for the rest of the year" she emphasized as another deep groan rose from the class, "Now, each pair will decide on a play you will be working on. And you better work fast because class ends in ten minutes and plays will be allotted on first cum first served basis"

Ryan just rolled his eyes as Ms. Sterne dropped a chit with a number scrawled on it on his table. He didn't care about any stupid project. His partner would be doing all the work anyway. But what did interest Ryan was the fact that Anna Maddox was in his English lit class. Now he just had to make sure that she was his partner for the year. And then everything else would fall into place. His mouth curving slightly at the thought, Ryan went back to studying his 'partner'. She was sitting next to a window in one corner of the class. Apparently, Ms. Maddox belonged to the wallflower category. Throughout the class, he'd noticed that although she'd been paying attention throughout class, she'd never made a move to answer any question or talk to anyone. She didn't fidget or text under the table. He found her stillness intriguing. In his experience, girls either gossiped about someone or fixed their makeup or flirted with whichever guy was closest. Baja had been different in that she'd never really flirted with other guy when she was with him. All she wanted to do was hang out with her little clique of friends who ironically, were the first people to ditch her when she started dating Ryan.

Anna, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to everyone else around her as she began writing something on her paper. The sunlight falling on her hair made it gleam reddish brown and it fell in a straight curtain down her back. She had flipped it off one shoulder and Ryan could only make out her profile. Still, he could see that although she wasn't as beautiful as Baja was, she was pretty. Good, he thought with satisfaction, it just made his work easier. Ms. Sterne passed by her table, dropping another chit there. Anna looked up, a small frown creasing her forehead as she studied her chit. Ryan shifted in his seat, angling himself so that he could see the number written on the chit. It was a 5.

Finally glancing at his chit, he cursed under his breath. 8 was scrawled across the sheet. How the hell was he supposed to find the other person who had 5?. It would be like finding a bloody needle in a haystack! He thought angrily although his face betrayed none of his furious thoughts. He nodded and grinned at something Brandon was saying but he didn't really pay attention to him. Not that Brandon noticed. He wasn't really gifted in the intellect department.

"You may find your partners now" Ms. Sterne announced dramatically. Ryan didn't budge from his seat as the class erupted with activity. He kept his gaze fixed on Anna, looking for anyone who was heading in her direction. Just then, someone jostled his shoulder. Ryan turned his head to glare at the offender "Watch it" .Taylor, the unlucky culprit turned white as he realized who he'd bumped into. "Ry-Ryan! I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! I didn't see you-" his hands were trembling so badly that the chit fell out of his hands and on to Ryan's table. Ryan's eyes widened fractionally as he saw it number 5 written on it.

"I'm going to take this" Ryan said as he smoothly took Taylor's chit and gave him his own. Taylor didn't protest but nodded gratefully, relieved that Ryan wasn't going to hit him. Although he was disgusted at how pathetic Taylor was, Ryan just smiled coldly, "Thanks". Taylor slumped in relief when Ryan passed him only to turn white again as Ryan gripped his shoulder hard and said in an extremely pleasant voice, "Bump into me again and I'll kill you" and with that, Ryan made his way to Anna's table. He didn't pay attention to how everybody immediately made room for him to pass, not daring to bump into him. He expected it.

As he neared her seat, Ryan begun to realize that Anna was far prettier than he had thought. She wasn't beautiful like Baja but rather ordinarily pretty. Still, there was something about her that made you look a second time. She had even features framed in an oval face, a broad forehead and a small nose in which a small stud twinkled. Ryan found it extremely sexy. He'd never really liked facial piercings on girls before but Anna was an exception. Tearing his gaze away from it, he studied the rest of her. She had high cheekbones and a full mouth which she had pursed, tapping it with her pencil as she studied the list in front of her. Her face ended in a slightly pointed chin which looked stubborn. Ryan had to admit that with her surprisingly creamy complexion and the graceful sweep of her neck, he was really looking forward to seeing her face properly.

As he reached her chair, he pulled up another one and set in next to hers with easy strength. Slipping into it, he placed his chit on the table, next to hers. He waited for her to look up at him with beautiful golden brown eyes before he smiled and said, "Found you"

x-x-x

"Excuse me?" Anna asked her voice unintentionally husky. She was having a little bit of a hard time understanding how a blonde Greek God had suddenly dropped into the seat next to hers. He was without a doubt the best looking guy she had ever seen. Taller than most with chiseled features and golden hair, he belonged to a painting of angels. On second thought, Anna thought, taking in his sculpted mouth and devilish blue eyes, he looked like he would be more at home in the fallen angel category. Anna would have been to be completely out of it to not recognize that there was something about him; a sort of powerful aura that separated him from everyone else. He looked like a leader rather than a follower. He was probably one of the popular guys in school if not _the _most popular guy. He was definitely the kind of guy Anna ran a mile from. But here he was, dressed in a black shirt that hugged his shoulders and showed off a red tribal tattoo around a muscled bicep along with khaki shorts looking disturbingly sexy. This guy was definitely trouble.

"I'm your partner for the project" he explained, flashing a devastating smile which revealed equally devastating dimples. Why was everyone one in this damned school so ridiculously good looking? She thought with a flash of annoyance. It felt like she'd walked on to the set of some high school movie _and_ not the Disney version. Tearing her eyes away from him, Anna looked at the two chits he had picked up from the table. Her heart sank as she noticed that number 5 really was scrawled across the both of them. How was she going to work at close quarters with him for a _whole_ year? He was beginning to affect her already! Her stomach felt fluttery and her cheeks had gone red and that was just the beginning! And she couldn't even change her partner!

"Alright" she replied with admirable calm. Sliding over the sheet she'd been working on, she added, "I made a list of plays we could work on. You can…" she began politely but trailed off when he scooted his chair even closer to hers, his thigh brushing against her own. Anna swallowed as she was distracted by his cologne. It wasn't musky but cool and crisp; it reminded her off the sea. She was guessing it was Davidoff's _Cool Water_, one of her favorites. Pulling herself together, she completed, "You can pick whichever one you want. Unless you want to work on one not on the list" But he wasn't listening to her. He was intently studying the list and Anna had free reign to look at him without being caught. She was intrigued by how golden his skin was, he must spend all his time in the sun, she thought absently. It had probably bleached his hair to its present goldeness. !

"Let's do this one" he decided, tapping a finger against one of the names she had neatly written on the sheet. Hoping that it wasn't the one play she was dreading working on him, Anna looked at where he was pointing. Her heart sank yet again as she saw that it was. How could she work on _Romeo and Juliet_ with him? It was such a beautiful passionate play, highly emotionally charged and one which she didn't want to work on intimately with him of all people. But she didn't really have a concrete reason to refuse him either so she just shrugged carelessly, "Yeah sure"

He looked at her intently for a moment, as if he had somehow sensed how much she really like the play but thankfully he didn't say anything. There was a moment of awkward silence and Anna rushed to fill it "So do you have any plan on how we should work at it?" She mentally winced at how geeky she sounded. But he didn't seem to mind, turning his head to look at her, he said, "Why don't we meet after school to decide? There's this little shack on the shore of Lake Eola which isn't so crowded. We could work there, nobody would disturb us"

It's not a date Anna, she cautioned herself. Her heart was already beating fast because his face was just inches away from her own. Had it been anyone else, she would have just been annoyed at the intrusion on private space but now the problem was entirely different. "I'm sorry I can't…?" she trailed off as she realized she didn't even know his name. As if he read her mind, he grinned, extending his hand, "I'm Ryan"

"Anna" she placed her hand in his. His hand was warm and dry and Anna's hand felt supersensitive wherever he was holding it. She quickly removed her hand from his and was a little irritated when she saw the amused look on his face. Was she really that transparent? "I'm sorry _Ryan_" she tried out his name, "but I have some plans with my brother today."

"Is he in our school?" Ryan asked, "Your brother I mean". Anna nodded "Yeah. Jake and I are first cousins actually but we grew up next door to each other so…"

"Jake? As in Jake Tyler?" Ryan clarified, a questioning frown creasing his forehead. Maybe Ryan knew him, Anna thought to herself. "Yeah. You know him?"

He smiled a little, as if he was enjoying a private joke, "We're not friends, if that's what you're asking. But I've seen him around." Suddenly, he stood up, hoisting his bag over his shoulder, "I think we should register our names with Ms. Sterne. We better hurry before someone else grabs the play" Anna looked at him, puzzled at his abrupt behavior. Men! She thought, shaking her head. As they headed towards the teacher's table, Anna gradually became aware of a flurry of conversation going across the room. What was disturbing was that Ryan and she seemed to be topic of gossip. Before she could ask Ryan what was going on, they had reached Ms. Sterne.

"So what are the two of you doing?" she asked, her hands clasped together excitedly. Ryan and she exchanged a dry look, something that oddly thrilled her before he replied, "We're doing Romeo and Juliet." Suddenly there was pin drop silence in the class. What is with these people? Anna wondered, completely perplexed. Ms. Sterne just wriote their names down along with the name of the play. Damn! Anna thought disappointed; they would have to work on _this_ play after all.

Meanwhile the class had gone back to talking amongst themselves but this time the buzzing of whispers was even louder. Anna shot Ryan a glance to see what he thought of it but he was completely rapt in watching Ms. Sterne enter their names in her permanent record. He seemed to relax a little when she was done. This is one strange school, Anna thought, and its getting stranger by the moment.

"Now" Ms. Sterne said in a brisk businesslike tone, "I expect an excellent project from you two." Anna mentally drifted away as the teacher started talking to Ryan about something. Today had been so different from what she had expected. The only thing she wanted was a quiet beginning in her new school and to hopefully overcome the breach between Jake and herself. Family was a big thing to Anna, especially since her own parents had split up. Her biggest fear was losing people important to her. Jake's leaving had pulled the rug out from under her feet and despite how glad she was that he was thriving in his new life, she couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't completely over the moon about her being here. She had to stop doing this, Anna reproached herself, of course Jake was happy she was here! Why wouldn't he be? He'd even promised to take her around Orlando after school! She was just being insecure and stupid!

"There" Ryan said suddenly, snapping her out of her thoughts, "It's done" . Anna's gaze flew to his "I'm sorry?"

"I was saying..." Ryan began, as he guided her back to their table, his firm grasp on her elbow making her skin tingle, "thats it done." Looking deep into her eyes, a smirk playing around his lips, "Its permanent now. We're going to be together for a whole year and no one can change it."

"Oh, you mean the project" Anna laughed shakily, wondering why she suddenly felt uneasy. "Yeah, yeah we are" The bell rang just then and Anna grabbed her bag, anxious to leave his presence. Everything about Ryan was way too intense. Sticking her hand out, she smile awkwardly, "Nice meeting you...Ryan"

Instead of shaking her hand, Ryan just held it in his warm one. Anna almost jumped as she felt his thumb brush the soft center of her palm. But a quick look at his unaware face made Anna think that she must have imagined it. That is, until he smirked, "I'm _very_ happy I met you. I'll be seeing you around".

**author's note: Thank you everyone for reading this chapter and having so much patience with me! I really hoped you liked it! Ryan in my story is a little colder and not as big a show off as he's portrayed in the movie. Please review and tell me if you liked it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Right Kind Of Wrong Part 1:**

**Never Give In**

**Author's note: Ryan McCarthy and the rest of the cannon characters from the movie Never Back Down don't belong to me. Everything else does. This is going to be the first part of my series called Right Kind of Wrong which is where I pair all my favorite bad boys up. I hope you like it. Please read and review.**

Later that day, Anna was still troubled as she walked in to the school car park. After her English class, she hadn't stopped thinking about Ryan. The way he had said he'd see her around...it almost sounded like a promise. Anna shook her head, what was wrong with her? He probably just said it casually and here she was over analyzing every little word. If she was going to work with him for a whole year, she really need to get over her attraction to him...or probably just learn to disguise it better. Speak of the devil! Anna frowned as she saw Ryan standing with a big group of people in front of an Escalade. He was showing off some fighting moves to a bunch of guys while the girls were leaning against the car and talking amongst themselves, bored expressions on their faces. At the same time, some of them would shoot flirtatious glances at the boys, trying to attract their attention by playing with their hair, or crossing their legs to draw eyes to them. Ryan was the main target of their attraction and from the lazy smile on his face; he looked like he was completely enjoying it! Anna hurried past the car, not wanting to attract his attention. A quick sideways glance at him showed that he wasn't even looking and probably couldn't be bothered with whether she was there or not. Feeling strange, Anna told herself that was a good thing. She spotted Jake and Baja standing a little further away and hurried to them, grateful to finally find friendly faces in this strange school. She still didn't know why people were gossiping about her in English class unless they just gossiped about any girl seen with Ryan.

She wondered if that's how Jake felt all the time. His fight with this McCarthy guy, she always forgot his first name, had turned him into an instant celebrity. Whatever happened must have been really really big. And she still didn't know what exactly happened between the two of them! Jake had never returned her calls after shifting to Orlando. The only thing she had gleaned from overhearing her mother's conversation with Anna's s aunt was that Jake and McCarthy had been constantly fighting each other till Jake defeated McCarthy in a public showdown. Someone had recorded it and put it up online and pretty soon, it had spread throughout the country in minutes. Somehow Anna never really got around to seeing it. Honestly, she didn't really want to. She hated fights of any kind and couldn't understand why people would go to see organised fighting events. She'd seen enough verbal showdowns between her parents . Shying away from that last thought, Anna focused on the enmity between Jake and McCarthy. After their fight, things were supposed to be ok between them. Jake said that he didn't have any problem with McCarthy and apparently the latter felt the same way. Anna wasn't buying it for a second. She might not know McCarthy but she sensed that he wasn't the kind of guy to take defeat lying down, no matter what Jake thought. As for Jake, Anna felt that while he was ok with seeing McCarthy occasionally in school, she wasn't so sure she could say the same for the other guy. He sounded really cruel and brutal. She wondered absently if Ryan knew this McCarthy guy. _He_ didn't look like someone who would be scared by anyone! Where did he fit into the whole male hierarchy in this school?

"Anna!" Jake called out, breaking her reverie. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a grey shirt, his dark good looks complemented Baja's blond beauty perfectly. Seeing them together, Anna felt a surge of happiness for her brother. She hoped she could find someone who loved her as much as Jake loved Baja. Smiling, Anna waved at the two of them. Jake placed his arm around her shoulder and said, "So squirt, how was your first day at school?"

Anna nudged him in the ribs, a mortified blush rising in her cheeks. He had called her that since they were kids and Anna had never really minded. But she cringed whenever he used it in public. She wondered what Baja thought. As if reading her mind, Baja grinned, "You got lucky with that one. My dad always calls me Goose, no matter where we are!"

"You want to know Jake's?" Anna grinned mischievously, enjoying the horrified expression on his face. "Its mppfh-" Jake muffled the rest of her words by clamping his other hand on her mouth.  
"Let's talk about something else" Jake said desperately. "Ow!" he cried out as Anna nudged him in the ribs again, only much harder. "What was that for?" Pointing at the hand on her mouth, Anna raised her eyebrows. Jake finally got the message and removed it at once. Anna just shook her head as she and Baja shared an amused glance. Her mood considerably better than before, Anna turned towards Jake, "So, when are we leaving?"

"Leaving? For what?" Jake looked at her with a bewildered expression on his face. "You promised me you'd take me around Orlando on a tour, remember?" Anna reminded him. She smiled excitedly at Baja, "He's been promising me that he'd take me around ever since I told him I'm moving out here! Why don't you come too? It'll be fun!" But her invitation was met by a disturbing silence. Suddenly, Anna was aware that something was wrong. Her smile died as she saw Baja and Jake exchange an unhappy look. "Something….something wrong?" Anna asked, feeling the first few stirrings of disappointment in her stomach. Jake opened his mouth and then abruptly shut it while Baja looked away, biting her lip unhappily.

Everything became clear to Anna. "We're not going anywhere, are we?" She asked in a dull voice, looking from Jake to Baja. "Its just that I promised Baja's dad I'd help him move some stuff from the garage" Jake rushed to explain, "he broke his leg a few days ago and I-" he trailed off, an apologetic look on his face "I'm really sorry squirt! Really _really_ sorry! I know how pumped up you were-"

"It's alright" Anna abruptly cut him off, disappointment pouring through her now. Fixing a smile on her face, she said, "I understand. We'll do this another day" The look of relief on Jake's face made her feel even worse. Anna knew it wasn't because he got out of spending time with her but it still hurt her that he chose helping Baja's dad over his promise to her. Maybe it was selfish but Anna had been looking forward to it for weeks. And it went deeper than just one lame tour around Orlando. If Anna had ever felt that she truly was a part of the group or at least on her way there, Jake had effectively showed her that he had a life and things to do which didn't include her. Things far more important than her.

"You're sure, right?" He asked anxiously, concern and guilt clearly reflected in his brown eyes. "Jake, maybe we could help dad another day-"Baja began, guilt coloring her voice. But Anna just shook her head and said, "Its fine! Really! I'll catch up on my unpacking and stuff." Jake dropped a kiss on her head and hugged her tightly, "You're the best squirt! I promise I'll make it up to you!" Anna hugged him back, blinking back her tears before pushing him away, "Go! Don't keep Mr. Miller waiting!" Baja didn't offer any more protests but kept looking at Anna uncertainly as she and Jake got into the car. "Max left for his hospital check up. Will you be able to find your way home?" Jake asked, a look of concern on his face.

"I'll manage" Anna replied with a calmness she was far from feeling. _I always do_, she thought to herself. She waved them off and only when they had driven off from the school parking lot, did her smile collapse. Swallowing back her tears, Anna hitched her bag on her shoulder and started for home. She supposed she could roam around on her own but her heart really wasn't in it. Besides, the Tylers' house was just a couple of blocks away and she could use the walk home. Especially since she planned on using the time to coach herself on not expecting things. It figured that Jake had prior commitments and stuff, she told herself, its alright! You can't expect him to spend all his time with you! But that argument would have worked if Jake had been spending time with her, which he hadn't. She's been here for only a few days but even then Jake hadn't sat and talked to her for more than 15 minutes. Anna felt like she was cut off from the others and now her old insecurities of not belonging were swirling to the surface.

x-x-x

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even see the black Escalade keeping pace with her. Until a tinted window rolled down and an all too familiar voice drawled, "All alone? Where're you going?"

Anna groaned as she recognized Ryan's voice. He was the last person she wanted to see now! Her nerves were already stretched to their limit and thats why she snapped back irritably, "To grandma's house! Why? What do you want?"

"Now, now Red" Ryan taunted, cleverly recognizing her allusion to Red Riding Hood, "Is that anyway to talk to the handsome woodcutter?"

Despite herself, Anna felt a grin tug at the corners of her mouth. Slanting a look at him, she said half-seriously, "You look more like the Big Bad Wolf to me!"

Ryan flashed a grin at her, his white teeth gleaming, "Why don't you get into the car and I'll show you what big teeth I have!" Anna couldn't help but laugh at that. "Right. Red isn't going to fall for that one Wolf Boy. Better luck next time" Their stupid bantering had actually cheered her up, Anna realized with a little shock.

"Seriously, Anna" Ryan said, leaning over to open the passenger door, "why don't you get in? I'll show you the shack I was telling you about" Anna looked at him searchingly, her heart beating double-time. There was nothing on his face to disprove his words. And she was sorely tempted to go...but she didn't really know him and besides, she wasn't equipped to deal with her attraction to him right now. "Thanks but I think I'll pass"

"Why? I promise I don't bite...not at first at least" he replied solemnly, but his eyes were inviting her to laugh. Grinning, Anna shook her head, "Its not that. It's just..." her voice trailed off as she searched for a proper excuse.

"You think Jake wouldn't like it" he completed for her, his voice hardening.

"No!" Anna protested vehemently, surprising herself. "I mean," she continued in a softer tone, "Jake doesn't dictate my actions."

"Then prove it" Ryan challenged, his blue eyes burning into hers, "Come with me to the shack. I'll drop you home safely. That is...if you feel you can do something without Jake's express permission"

"You think I'm going to fall for that?" Anna retorted, but both of them knew she was. Ryan didn't say anything but just pushed the passenger door open. Anna bit her lip, contemplating whether to get in or not.

"You coming Red?" Ryan asked, his voice slightly taunting. It sealed the deal. Anna got into the car and busied herself with shutting the door so that she didn't have to look at him. Once she'd gotten herself together, she turned to find him smiling at her and a shiver raced down her spine. "So where did you stash grandma's clothes?" Anna grinned, feeling excitement coursing through her veins. She didn't know what it was about Ryan that made her feel so alive but whatever it was...she liked it.

Putting the car into gear, Ryan grinned back, "I'll show you". Anna turned to put on her seat belt, missing the cold triumphant smile that slowly spread across Ryan's face. Anna had no idea how bad the Big Bad Wolf really was.

x-x-x

"This place is beautiful" Anna sighed as she and Ryan looked back at the little wooden shack on the lake shore. It was small and a little dingy but it just added to the charm of the place. The owner had hung curtains made of sea shells around the wooden pillars surrounding the roof and had placed huge pots of blooming flowers in different colors near the steps that lead up to the shack. The walls were decorated with framed movie posters and a few prints of seascapes. The small speakers attached to the ceiling played popular music from all the genres. Even the cool breeze from the lake added to the atmosphere of the place. The shack actually looked like something that had been hauled out of the depths of the lake itself, fashioned out of sand and water. Anna loved it but it was hardly the sort of the place she thought Ryan would bring her to.

She even told him so as they sat down on the beach. "Why?" Ryan asked, noticing how pretty she looked as she raised her face to the sun, her nose pin twinkling, "Why would you think that?" There was a playful wind blowing and it pulled at Anna's hair, whipping it across her face. Anna tucked a strand behind her ear as she said, "Because it doesn't fit in with the rest of you"

Groaning, Ryan replied, "let me guess. You think I'm one of those rich spoilt brats living off Daddy's money who wouldn't even look at a place like this." Anna raised her eyebrows disbelievingly "Aren't you?"

"What do you think?" Ryan retorted, his beautiful blue eyes completely serious. Anna took a sip of Coke to buy herself some time. She honestly didn't know how to reply. She didn't know Ryan well enough to make an accurate judgement of the kind of person he was. By the same coin, Anna realized ironically, she shouldn't think he was just a rich spoilt brat either. He was still waiting for an answer though, his eyes hadn't left her for a minute. Why her opinion was so important she didn't know but apparently he wasn't going to let the matter go. So she just said simply, "I don't know."

"Fair enough" Ryan replied dryly, taking a swig from his own Coke. "But _if_ you ever wanted to know, I would tell you it wasn't true." Anna knew he wanted her to ask him to elaborate but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. So she just shrugged "_If_ I ever do want to know, I would say ok."

"You're a cool one aren't you" Ryan replied half-admiringly, half-exasperated. "You aren't like any of the girls I've known before"

"Oh thats original" Anna snorted. She felt a little thrill when she saw Ryan was looking at her incredulously. Weirdly enough, even that expression suited him. Right now with the evening sun shining down on him and highlighting the chiseled planes of his face, Anna thought he had to be the best looking guy she'd ever seen. There was something about the way his intense blue eyes looked at you that made you feel...exposed in a sense. But that was probably how he effected all the girls. And he knew it.

"But I mean it this time" Ryan protested. Anna just laughed, "I bet you say that alot too" and then her laughter died when he leaned closer and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He moved slowly, letting his fingers graze her cheek and the soft skin behind her ear. Anna went absolutely still, staring at him with wide eyes. His cologne was making her dizzy, Anna thought absently, or maybe it was just him. But whatever it was, when his fingers softly traced the path from her ear to her chin, her breath died in her throat. He was so close and her heart started pounding. And that intent absorbed look on his face made her blush deeply, especially when he shifted his gaze to her lips. She was close enough to see her own reflection in the silky black iris of his eyes, the iris which had dilated so much that only a clear blue ring was visible around it. Anna felt her lips parting as they simultaneously moved closer, his beautiful mouth almost touching hers, his warmth breath gently fanning her skin..."W-we should go" she gasped and abruptly pulled back from him. She had almost lost her head and that was something she couldn't afford to do. Sneaking a quick glance at him, Anna flinched at the dangerous anger that flashed across his face.

What just happened? Stunned and a little scared, she looked at him again but now he looked perfectly normal. She must have imagined it! She still felt a little shaky from their near-kiss but Anna knew she would be glad she pulled back. It was too close too fast and she felt scared. Grasping her Coke like a lifeline, Anna sprang up and brushed the sand of her jeans. Ryan stood up in a more leisurely fashion and Anna looked away to avoid staring at him. Ryan was far too gorgeous for her peace of mind and far more experienced in this sort of thing. Being with him, Anna thought dazedly, was like gulping down champagne and feeling your head swirl. And she was the kind of girl who liked her feet firmly planted on the ground. She knew that he was looking at her again, either questioningly or worse, amused. Either way, she wasn't up to handling it. Jamming her feet into her sandals, Anna almost lost her footing on the soft sand. She would have fallen if Ryan hadn't grasped her arm.

"Easy, easy" he murmured as he supported her while she slipped into her sandals. Anna was completely mortified! She had acted like a complete goof! How was she going to sit in the same car with him for the whole ride back home? Was he going to tell his cool friends that Anna Maddox was a loser? Did _he _ think she was a loser? What-

"Is this why you brought me here with you?" She cried out angrily, her embarrassment churning into anger. "Do you think that just because I agreed to come here with you, I'm easy?" Shaking his grip of her arm, she spat out, "I don't know what just happened but I want you to take me back home immediately!"

"Anna" Ryan smiled at her, his blue eyes oddly gentle. Did she just imagine his anger? There was no trace of it now, she thought as her gaze flew up to his and remained there . His hands slid from her arm to cup her cheek, his strong thumb gently stroking the end curve of her jaw, sending heat waves through her body. Anna tried to move her head away but Ryan's grip though gentle was firm "Ryan I-" Anna began but Ryan cut her off by pressing a finger against her lips. "I want you to just listen to me, ok?"

Anna began to say something but Ryan said, "Shh! just listen. I'll remove my hand if you nod" Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Anna nodded. "Good" Ryan replied, removing his finger from her lips. She was still confused about what he was doing.

"I know that we had a beautiful moment just now" he began, his blue eyes gazing into hers. His expression was completely sincere but on the inside Ryan couldn't believe the words spilling out of his mouth. Did chicks really fall for lame shit like this? Apparently they did, he thought scornfully, noticing how Anna had relaxed, her golden eyes less wary now. Well, whatever worked! "I also know that we went a little too fast for you." he continued, his voice soothing. And now, for the jackpot, " I don't think you're easy and this is not why i brought you here. This place is special to me and i thought you would like it. You are the only girl I've ever brought here. Because...I think you might be special to me too" When Anna looked away, Ryan brought her gaze back by rubbing his thumb across her cheek, " I meant it when i said that you're not like the other girls I know. You're different and...I like it. But" he paused meaningfully, "If you want to remain just friends right now, thats ok. I'll wait. I'm not going anywhere."

"I...I think we should be getting back now"Anna replied, unable to answer his unspoken question. She was too intimidated by him, too blown away by what had just happened to tell him anything too soon. She didn't trust people easily but somehow, Ryan had managed to make her even think of a relationship between them. The strength and the newness of her feelings scared her and she needed time to think about it.

Ryan paid for their drinks despite Anna's protests. She decided to not say any more because his face had a closed expression and she was too overwhelmed by what was going on. As they made their way to the car quietly, Anna occasionally darting nervous looks at Ryan. He didn't look angry but she could tell he wasn't exactly happy either. He didn't say a word to her as they both sat in the car and put on their seat belts. Finally, Anna's nerves couldn't take the tense silence anymore. Turning towards him, she said quietly,"Ryan, I'm sorry I didn't answer you earlier. I was...overwhelmed. By everything. This is the last thing i expected when I walked into school today"

You think I planned for it?" Ryan retorted exasperatedly, and then wearily ran a hand through his hair. "Anna, let's just drop it. I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Are you still going to be my project partner" Anna asked, her voice coming out as thin and shaky. His answer was important to her. Anna had the horrible feeling that _he_ was becoming important to her. And she'd only met him today! it was completely crazy!

"And let you drive some other poor schmuck nuts? I don't think so Red" he grinned, and Anna felt her heart lighten. "You're not getting rid of me that easily" And with that he reversed the car out of the parking lot. Anna smiled as she looked out of the window. Ryan smiled too but it had a colder edge to it. This was going to be almost too easy.

x-x-x

**A/n: and so it begins! Thanks to everyone who read this chapter. I hope you liked it. Please review and let me know your thoughts.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Right Kind Of Wrong Part 1:**

**Never Give In**

**Author's note: Ryan McCarthy and the rest of the cannon characters from the movie Never Back Down don't belong to me. Everything else does. This is going to be the first part of my series called Right Kind of Wrong which is where I pair all my favorite bad boys up. I hope you like it. This story is set in Orlando, Florida and since I don't live there, its possible I might have made some factual errors. If you find them, please forgive me and **_**do **_**tell me so that I can correct them. Thank you! Please read and review.**

Ryan wiped the sweat of his face using his T-shirt. It was only 6:30 in the morning but he felt like he was boiling under the warm Orlando sun. Not to mention that running for five miles would do that you no matter what the time of the day was. Still, Ryan thought as he looked out at the shimmering blue waters of the lake, at least there weren't many people around. He normally ran and did his workout every morning around his private stretch of the lake but lately he'd seen a few guys hanging around the edge of his property. Apparently, 'Private Property' didn't really mean anything nowadays. Ryan knew that they weren't hanging around to get his autograph but were carefully recording his workout regime. The Final Beatdown, the biggest and toughest mixed martial arts competition in town, was going to happen in three weeks time; the participants were resorting to paranoia and spying on their opponents.

He wasn't going to give anybody the opportunity to have the upper hand over him. So he'd ditched his usual training ground and decided to use the public jogging track because no one would expect to find him here. He knew from years of experience that those idiots would be hanging around all day thinking that he'd come back later. They were nothing if not persistent, they were certainly being paid enough to wait there for a month, and whatever information they gleaned would be richly rewarded. Ryan knew all to well that even the slightest advantage over your opponent could be crucial to winning. He himself was so paranoid that he didn't even let his friends see him workout. He didn't want them to know what his weaknesses were. He didn't want to them to ever see him tired or exhausted after a workout either. It would ruin his image as the toughest fighter in Orlando. Still, whenever he was in the mood and wanted to show off at parties, he would do some pull ups or challenge someone to a fight. He always won of course.

Anna was a crucial step in winning again, Ryan acknowledged to himself. He had deliberately kept away from her after dropping her home from the lake. He wanted to fret and stew over it for a while and at the same time, come across as the good guy for giving her space. By now, however, he was pretty sure that she would be feeling a little irritated about him avoiding her. Maybe he would catch hold of her in school today and ask her to go to big beach party happening on Daytona Beach tomorrow evening. Since it would be Saturday, she wouldn't be able to make any lame excuses about home work. He could turn up the heat and, Ryan's lips curved with satisfaction; with the electric attraction between them already it wouldn't be too hard.

It was a doubled edged thing, this attraction between them. That time on the lake shore, after she'd pulled back, he'd felt a savage surge of anger. It had taken all his self control to hide it from her. For a second there she had looked afraid of him and Ryan had felt a bone deep satisfaction. Something inside him thrived off fear and he'd always been feared in his school, by his friends, his girlfriends, his competitors. The only person who hadn't been afraid of him was Jake and that made Ryan furious. It had been some small comfort to know that Anna had been afraid. It showed that he had power over her. And that he wasn't going to let a stupid thing like being attracted to her get in the way of his plans. But, there was something he hadn't counted on and that was her ability to push past her fear to stand up to him. That might prove to be problematic in the future...

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud burst of laughter. Scowling, Ryan turned his head in its direction and found it erupting from a group of three heading towards the car park. The group of three comprised of two well built tall men and a petite woman. There was something familiar about them…with a small shock Ryan realized it was Jake and Anna. And with them was Jake's martial arts mentor Roqua. Immediately a million questions raced through Ryan's head, the uppermost being whether Jake was still training with Roqua? Had Jake really given up fighting or was it just a pretense he kept up because he wanted to participate in the Final Beatdown? Or worse, fool Ryan into thinking he was out of shape and then put up a solid fight whenever Ryan threw down the gauntlet? It had happened before. A lot of guys had thought that they could challenge him and Ryan had proved them wrong every single time. But this was Jake, the only guy who _had_ defeated Ryan! What was going on? And wasn't Anna supposed to be mad at Jake? Ryan had seen Anna getting upset when Jake had cancelled their plans and driven off with Baja with his own eyes. Had she forgiven Jake already?

But before he could make any sense of the situation, he saw Jake and Roqua heading towards a car. And Anna waving them off. Now _this_ was interesting, Ryan thought coldly. A plum opportunity had fallen straight into his lap. And he planned to make every use of it.

x-x-x

Anna pulled out her hair tie and shook her head. It felt good to run again, especially with Jake. Back in Iowa, the two of them used to go jogging in the morning regularly. Anna had always grumbled about it but she used to go with Jake anyway. After he left, she didn't really have the heart to go anymore. And today, when Jake had barged into her room and told her to get into her sweats, Anna had thrown a pillow at him. He'd caught it, grinning and thrown it right back after telling her she only had ten minutes to get ready before he came back with a jug of water. Anna had grumbled, cursed and muttered about evil brothers, but when she'd looked in the mirror, she wasn't surprised to see herself smiling. This was just like old times.

And then Roqua had joined them and Anna hadn't known what to think. But after a little while, both she and the normally taciturn Roqua had warmed up to each other. Of course, the continuous quips Jake and Roqua exchanged had made her almost double over with laughter. She liked Roqua and she knew that he played a very important role in Jake's life, a sort of father figure who filled in for his late father. And she knew that Roqua was equally fond of Jake. Meeting Roqua had helped to melt away some of the resentment Anna had felt about the new people in Jake's life. She had, in fact, deliberately decided to stay back so that Roqua could discuss something important with Jake. Though the two men hadn't made it obvious, Anna could sense that Roqua needed to talk to Jake about something important and that he didn't feel comfortable about doing it in Anna's presence.

So Anna had made some excuse about meeting a friend from her school here and shooed them off. Now, finally alone, she thought it felt rather nice to have some time to herself. Especially since she wanted to think about Ryan. And how to face him after the whole lake episode. She hadn't really seen him around school lately and she wondered if he was avoiding her. But that was stupid right? Why would he want to avoid her? She wasn't one of those clingy females who attached themselves to a guy like a bad yeast infection. Maybe it was just a coincidence. Anna certainly hoped so. She didn't like the idea of his avoiding her any more than she liked the idea of facing him.

"You stalking me Red?"

Speak of the devil! Anna turned her head towards the owner of that wonderful drawl and nearly tripped over her own tongue. Why wasn't their a law in this state prohibiting Ryan from taking his shirt off? His shirtless beautifully muscled golden chest was a threat to the mental health of women everywhere. Especially, when it was made hotter by him wearing only a pair of low slung black pants and having two tattoos, not to mention that incredible eight pack. Anna mentally counted the sculpted muscles on his stomach. Yup, definitely an eight pack. And the tattoo low on his left hip? Anna peered at it. _Godspeed_. Now that was interesting. The other one was a dragon tattooed in red and green around his right bicep. She thought absently that those tattoos were incredibly lucky, intimately placed as they were on that beautiful body. And where her thoughts were leading was definitely dangerous.

So she replied "I was here first" and winced at how prim she sounded. "What are you doing here anyway?" she amended, suddenly very conscious of how sweaty and messy she was. She didn't know that that was just was Ryan had been appreciating. The exercise had made her skin glow and her cross back black vest and black sweats showed off a toned petite body that definitely deserved a wolf-whistle. Not to mention that her hair looked sexily mussed up, like she'd just been thoroughly kissed. He felt a sudden dangerous urge to kiss her and make the illusion genuine.

"They occasionally let me out of my cage for good behavior" Ryan drawled, his blue eyes bright with laughter. The man was definitely far too gorgeous for his own good, Anna thought to herself, especially when he smiled.

"And we all know how rare those occasions really are" Anna replied, her lips twitching with as she suppressed a smile. She had to admit that though he disturbed her greatly at one level, he somehow managed to amuse her and make her laugh. There was something about him that set her at ease even while it disturbed her deeply. Shaking her head at herself, Anna thought that if she wasn't careful, Ryan would make her go off the deep end.

"They happen often more than you think" Ryan grinned, fluidly slipping into the bench next to her and taking up most of the area. It wasn't because he was big built, in fact Ryan's body though muscled was lean and sharply defined. It was just that wherever Ryan was his dominating presence didn't leave much room for anyone else. Even now, with his legs sprawled out and one muscled arm resting on the back of the bench, dangerously close to her shoulders, he looked confident, in control and arrogant as all hell.

"So one of the requirements is that you have to be shirtless?" Anna inquired dryly, though her heart was suddenly pounding in her chest. Why couldn't he put on his shirt? She wondered peevishly. Didn't he know how distracting his shirtless torso was? Anna never thought she'd see the day when a half naked guy would disturb her so much but Ryan was a special case. Ryan disturbed her too much already when he had his clothes on, so what chance did she have at sanity when he was only wearing a pair of low slung black track pants?

"So you noticed" Ryan grinned devilishly, his dimple flashing.

"_Its_ hard not to" Anna retorted, looking pointedly at his chest. And because it was way too distracting, she blurted out "Look, could you please put on your shirt? It's distracting me" she waved her hand in the general direction of his torso.

"Could you please take off your shirt? Its distracting me" Ryan replied shamelessly, mimicking her actions. Anna just stared at him for a second, completely undone by his outrageousness. And then the whole thing was so utterly ridiculous and Ryan looked so unrepentant that she burst out laughing.

"Touché!" Anna sputtered, wiping tears from her eyes. "you're completely outrageous!"

"So they tell me" Ryan replied, his eyes roving over her smiling face. She had no idea how sexy she looked when she laughed, Ryan thought to himself. In fact, she had no idea, how sexy she looked period. But he was aware of it, a little too aware of it actually. And he needed to do something so that he was in control again. Now would be a good time to ask her to the Daytona Beach party.

"There's this beach party happening" Ryan began casually, "tomorrow evening. At Daytona Beach."

"I heard about that" Anna was suddenly on guard, her amusement vanishing. Was he planning to ask her to it? And more importantly, would she agree? She wasn't sure. It's best to play it cool, she thought to herself. "Its all everybody can talk about in school."

"So, are you planning on going?" Ryan wasn't used to this whole tip toeing around to ask someone on a date. He'd never had the problem of asking before. Girls would generally just ask him themselves. But this was Anna. And he needed to be careful. "It's going to be a lot of fun."

"That's what Jake told me. I guess I will be going:" Anna replied, each word said with the utmost caution. "What about you?"

"I didn't know whether I wanted to or not." Ryan lowered his voice to an intimate pitch, pulling out the big guns, "but now that you're going to be there, I think I'll come"

Anna nearly swallowed her tongue. "Then…uh…then I guess I'll see you there."

A small frown creased Ryan's forehead. Was she deliberately playing dumb or did she really not understand he was asking her out? To hell with being cautious! He was going to ask her straight, "So will you come with me? To the party I mean?"

"l-like a date?" Anna stuttered, mentally wincing. Of course like a date, you dolt! She was completely aware of what he was doing but she didn't know what to do! Going with him would be giving him the green signal and not going with him was just postponing the inevitable. With a flash of precognition, Anna suddenly knew that Ryan and she were going to be involved with each other no matter what. But she needed a little more time to adjust to the idea. Anna wasn't one to do things by half-measures. Once she was committed to something, nothing could make her changer her mind. Which was precisely why she always thought long and hard and before being involved in anything. And here Ryan was pushing her when he told her he'd give her the space she needed!

"Yeah like a date" Ryan replied, impatience coloring his tone. Taking a deep breath, he turned towards and took her hand, gazing deep into her eyes, "I would really like it if you came with me to the beach party with me."

His touch was sending electric signals sparking through her, especially when he started stroking his thumb over the sensitive skin on the back of her hand. Anna resolutely gathered her wits together. She didn't think she could spend so much time alone with Ryan and not lose her already precarious footing. Every instinct was screaming at her to keep her distance and yet….and yet her heart was telling her to say yes, to go with him, to stop being such a coward and take advantage of the opportunity. "I can't" she replied, feeling disappoint spread within her, "I promised Jake and Baja I'd go with them. We're going in Max's car…" she trailed off, hoping that Ryan would understand and not challenge her. Boy was she wrong.

"You would rather go with them than with me?" he asked incredulously, his eyes hardening with anger "after the way Baja and Jake treated you! What the hell's wrong with you?" Ryan knew he was making a mistake but he didn't care. She put him through the whole wringer of asking her out just so that she could turn him down. It had been a power play and he hadn't realized it until it was too late! Now he was completely furious and he wasn't going to let her get away with it that easily. Anna felt her own temper flare up in response to his. The whole Jake and Baja episode was still a sore spot and by pressing on it, Ryan had done the one thing that would ensure Anna's not going to the beach party with him. What a massive ego he had! Anna seethed. He wasn't upset about not spending time with her but rather that she should choose to go with her brother and his friends. And to then imply that she was incredibly stupid to turn down his offer was like pouring oil over an already raging fire.

Refusing to tamp down on her anger, Anna spat out, "How dare you! How dare you of all people say anything about Jake and Baja when you've been avoiding me like the fricking plague for the past few days!"

"You're giving yourself way too much importance" Ryan snapped out icily before he could stop himself. He had never known anyone who could make him as angry as quickly as Anna did

Her eyes literally sparking with anger, she jumped up from her seat, "Funny, I could say the same thing about you" she bit out sarcastically, "Your precious ego is bruised not because I want to go the stupid beach party with my brother and his friends but because I did the unthinkable by turning _you_ down! How incredibly stupid of me!"

"It damn well is!" He sprang up from his own seat, taking advantage of his height to glare down at her. "And this isn't about my ego! Its about yours! Why don't you be honest and admit that you're angry because I've been avoiding you!"

"So you admit it!" Anna moved a little bit away from him, so she could glare at him without having to look up at him. Damn his bloody height! "You admit that you have been avoiding me!" Her body was literally trembling with anger. "And you have the bloody audacity to waltz up to me and then ask me on a date! You think that I would ever go out with you after you-"

Ploughing his hand through his hair in frustration, Ryan muttered, "to hell with this" he yanked Anna to him and brought his mouth down on hers with a force that shut her up. For a moment she went absolutely still, then she started hitting him with her arms and legs and struggled wildly against him. Ryan held on, one lean arm holding her tight against his body while the other was clutching her hair. And then, as if someone had pricked a balloon, the fight whooshed out of her. Ryan immediately sensed the change and fractionally loosened his grip on her. Still holding her against him, he eased the pressure of his kiss till it became soft instead of angry. Softly, expertly, he brushed his lips against her, again and again, till her body softened and melted against him. Her clenched fists moved from his shoulders to the back of his neck and she stood up on tip toes so that he wouldn't have to bend so much. Her feet snuggled between his as her lips parted and they kissed softly for a moment, forgetting everything else about them. The kiss deepened and Anna sighed softly, her fingers playing with the golden strands of his hair. Her anger had mysteriously vanished and suddenly she was overwhelmed with Ryan, his crisp scent which arose from his cologne mingling with sweat. Davidoff, Anna thought dreamily, her favorite…and then she stopped thinking as Ryan gently nipped on her lower lip, before kissing at the hurt. He kissed the corners of her mouth, something that made Anna smile. And kept on kissing the corners as her smile widened with each corresponding kiss. Rubbing her nose against his, Anna realized absently that somewhere along the line, he'd lifted her up so that her feet were hanging an inch above the floor. And then when he returned to her mouth, his lips gliding against her, Anna thought he could be holding her above his head and she wouldn't care. She already felt like she was floating.

"Anna" Ryan said softly, looking into golden eyes that had become a little hazy, "Come with me tomorrow." Kissing the tip of her nose, he added, "Please" he gently rubbed her scalp with his fingers, enjoying the texture of her silky hair. He liked the feel of her in his arms, Ryan realized with a start. It was alright, he told himself, what happened just now didn't matter. It was just a game and _only_ a game. He wasn't even aware of how his other hand was gently stroking her back or how soft his blue eyes looked as he smiled down at her. Anna felt like she was in a trance. Unfortunately, his words had snapped her out of it. She struggled in his grasp a bit, pushing at his arms till he set her down. She knew that his eyes were no longer soft and that his jaw had tightened at her pulling away from him. She even saw the flash of anger that had scared her earlier. Now it left her unafraid. For some reason, after the big blowout they'd just had, she didn't think she'd ever be scared of him again.

"Is that why you kissed me?" she asked quietly, her heart pounding as she waited for his answer. He opened his mouth to say something then closed it and ran his fingers through his hair again. "I kissed you," he replied, his voice as quiet as hers, "because at first I wanted to shut you up. And then I couldn't stop."

Well, at least that was something, Anna thought, believing him unquestioningly. Her instincts told her that he was speaking the truth. "But my question still stands," he added.

"I can't" Anna replied, her voice soft but still firm. "Not for any other reason than the fact that I've already promised Jake, Baja and Max that I'd go with them. I admit I wanted a little distance between us too and that hasn't changed because of what just happened. I think I need it all the more now" Taking in and then releasing a deep breath, she added, "I am sorry for making you ask me. My only excuse is that I needed to know what you want"

"I think I've made it pretty clear" Ryan retorted, his voice as sharp as steel. "You want a written declaration?"

"No," Anna replied, this time making an effort to be patient, "I want what you promised me earlier. Time." She clarified so that there was no misunderstanding, "I'll be the first to admit that you confuse me. And scare me"

"I haven't done anything" Ryan replied, icy anger threading through his voice.

"I don't mean you specifically but what's going on between us. I've only known you for a few days for heaven's sake! This is the second time we're meeting! Ok the third time if you want to be more specific" she corrected herself when he opened his mouth to protest, "I need a little time to know you better"

"Which is why I'm asking you out tomorrow so you can." He repeated, struggling to hold on to his patience.

"Well I need to do it on my own terms" Anna replied, thrusting her chin up, "and if you can't deal with that, then tough."

Ryan was never one to back down from a challenge "Oh I can deal with that and anything else you toss at me." Before she knew what he was doing, he grabbed her cell phone from her pocket and dialed a number into it, coolly ignoring all her protests. After a second or two, he ended the call and tossed the phone back to her. She caught it with a frown and glared at him, "what the hell are you upto?"

"I've got your number on my cell now" he replied, a hard smile curving his lips, "So I can get in touch with you anytime I want." With lightening quick speed, he changed the topic before she could protest, "How are you planning to get home?"

"Its just a short walk from here so don't even think about dropping me home" she bit off, too irritated to think twice about her presumptuousness.

"I wasn't planning to," Ryan grinned and then strode up to her picked her up and dropped a quick hard kiss on her lips. "See you at the party tomorrow" and then strode off towards the car park, leaving a bemused Anna to stare after him.

Anna watched him go, admiration mixing in with anger as she took in the long beautiful lines of that body. Only after she was sure he was out of sight did she sink down to the bench, fingers pressed to her kiss-reddened lips. And a small smile hiding behind them.

x-x-x

_**Author's note: I'm so sorry I was so late in putting up this chapter. I just have a lot of project work to do in college and I haven't had the time to sit down and write. Anyway, the next few chapters might take a little more time as well as I'll be busy till 20**__**th**__** march. Ill still try and write and put up more chapters if I can. Thank you for reading this chapter. I hope you like it. And yeah, happy valentine's day!**_


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